Killer whale Keiko dies

13 December 2003, 18:00 PM

AP, Oslo

A picture dated September 4, 2002 in Halsa shows Keiko, the killer whale of the "Free Willy" movies. Keiko, who spent most of life in captivity before a massive campaign was undertaken to return him to the wild, has died in a Norwegian fjord, his handlers said yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the "Free Willy" movies, has died in Norwegian coastal waters where he remained after millions of dollars and a decade of work failed to coax him back to the open sea, his caretakers said early yesterday.

The whale, who was 27, died Friday afternoon after the sudden onset of pneumonia in the Taknes fjord. He was old for an orca in captivity, though wild orca live an average of 35 years.

David Phillips, executive director of the San Francisco-based Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, said Keiko had been in good health but started showed signs of lethargy and loss of appetite on Thursday.